Firefighters defend homes as California wildfires rage on

Firefighters grappling with a wildfire that has burned out of control for 10 days on California's scenic coastline, destroying more than 700 homes, sought on Wednesday to defend homes from flames whipped by resurgent Santa Ana winds.

The Thomas fire, already the state's fifth-largest wildland blaze on record, remained a threat to the communities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Summerland and Montecito as darkness fell and winds picked up, fire officials said.

"Very high fuel loading, critically low fuel moistures, above average temperatures and single-digit relative humidities will continue to support fire growth on the west, east and north sides of the Thomas incident," the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement.

"Firefighters will remain engaged in structure defence operations and scout for opportunities to establish direct perimeter control," the department said.

TRT World spoke to Frances Read who is following developments from Los Angeles.

Fire far from contained

The Thomas fire broke out on December 4 near the community of Ojai. Since then it has traveled 43 kilometres, blackening more than 953 square kilometres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, an area larger than New York City.

The conflagration has destroyed 709 single-family homes, damaged 164 others and displaced more than 94,000 people. 

It was 30 percent contained as of Wednesday evening, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, nearly 8,000 firefighters battling the blaze took advantage of the lighter winds to set controlled burns in a canyon near Carpinteria to deprive the flames of fuel, Cal Fire Captain Steve Concialdi told reporters.

US Congressional representative Julia Brownley, whose constituency includes Ventura, said on Tuesday the fire could take another week to contain. 

The efforts have so far cost more than $61 million, according to authorities.

Many public schools in the Santa Barbara area cancelled classes this week and will not reopen until the annual winter break is completed in January.

Some of the other fires burning over the past week in San Diego and Los Angeles counties have been largely brought under control.

Investigators determined that the Skirball fire, which destroyed six homes in Los Angeles' wealthy Bel-Air neighbourhood and scorched a building at a winery owned by billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, was started by a cooking fire at a homeless encampment, authorities said.

The Lilac fire, which has burned more than 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) in northern San Diego County and destroyed 157 structures, was 95 percent contained by Wednesday, Cal Fire said.